“The Bill currently before Parliament will ensure Victoria remains fracking-free to support food and fibre production across the state, and local jobs,” the Minister concluded.

The Labor Government’s decision to ban fracking was made in response to the 2015 Parliamentary Inquiry into Onshore Unconventional Gas in Victoria, which received more than 1600 submissions, largely opposed to onshore unconventional gas.

Victoria’s food and fibre exports are estimated to inject about $12 billion in the state economy’s each year.